The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-10
NY Boyhood.

Z0I4-OT SDCu AlLeIs
NY BOyhood.
If were boy again, endowed with
the same wild passion for pluckine
watermelons in the dark of the moon,
would, no doubt, fall victim to that
overmastering passion as 1 did before
but, looking at it as I do now, I would be
wiser. Boys can not, however, have the
mature judgment Of manhood without
the experience and the rheumatism that
go with it. So it is better than in our
childhood we may be able to eat raw
turnip with safety, and know something
later on in life. notice a great change
in myself while comparing my present
condition with that of joyous boyhood.
Then I had no sense, but I had good
digestion. Now haven't even the
digestion. The hurrying years have
cavorted over my sunny head till they
have worn it smooth, but they have left
a good deal yet for me to learn. I am
still engaged in learning during the day
and putting arnica on my experience at
night.
Childhood is said to be the most glad.
some period in our lives, and in some
respects this statement may be regarded
as reliable, but it is not all joy. I have
had just as much fun in later years as
did in boyhood, though the people with
whom have been thrown in contact
claim that their experience has been
different. / hope they do not mean any
thing personal by that.
I do sometimes wish that could be a
boy again, but I smother that wish on
account of my parents. What they need
most is rest and change of scene. They
still enjoy children, but they would like
a chance to select the children with
whom they associate.
My parents we're blest with FIVE bright.
eyed and beautiful little boys, three Of
whom grew up and by that means
became adults. I am in that condition
myself. was the eldest of the family,
with the exception of my parents. am
still that way. Ny early life was rather
tempestuous in places, occasionally
decked with sunshine, but more frequent.
ly with retribution. l was not very
good roadster when young, and so retri.
button was most always just in the act Of
overtaking rne. While outraged justice
was getting in its work on me, the other
boys escaped through small aperture in
the fence.
That is another reason why 1 do not
yearn to be 81 boy again.
When we ran away from school to
catch chubs, and when We built o fire 10
cook them, and the fire got into the tall,
dry grass and burned four miles of fence
and sixteen tons of hay for a gentleman
for whom I had a high regard, and I
went back to put out the fire, the other
boys escaped and have so remained ever
since.
A just retribution has never had any
difficulty in overtaking me and walking
up and down over my wishbone.
When party of US had been engaged
in gathering Easter eggs in the barn of a
gentleman who was away from home at
the time, and he returned just as we had
filled our pockets with the choicest vim
tage Of his sun-kissed hens, the other
boys escaped while I was occupying the
attention of the dog, and I had to slide
out of the second story of the barn. It
is still fresh in my mind as I write. I
wore my fathers vest at that time, and it
was larger than was necessary, My
father was larger than I at that time, for
I was only niue years of age and had not
arrived at my full stature. In sliding
down the batten I discovered that the
upper end of it was loose, and that my
dowing vest had slipped over it, SO that
when / got down about four feet I hung
with the board buttoned inside my
bosom, and the scrambled eggs oozing
out of my knickerbockers.
The batten had sprung back against
the barn in such way as to prevent my
unbuttoning NY vest, and while hung
there on the aide of the barn like coon
skin, the proprietor came around and
accused me of prematurely gathering his
eggs.
had heard truth very highly spoken
of fby people who had dabbled in it more
or less, and so 1 resolved to try it in this
instance. So [ admitted that such was
the case, and it was the best thing I
could have done, for the man said, as 1
had been 80 frank with him, he would
take me down as soon as he got his other
work done, and he was as good as his
word. After he had MIXED nine COWS
and fed nine calves he came around With
ladder and took me down. He also
spanked me and set the dog on ne, but
did not mind that, for I was accustom.
ed to it. To hang on the side of barn,
however, like an autumn leaf, trying to
kick large holes in the atmosphere, is
disagreeable.
This incident cast a gloom over my
whole life. 1t has also reconciled me to
the awful decree that I can never be q
boy again.-BW Mye.
An Absent. Minded Groom.
Not a thousand years ago gentlemen
from distant city welded fair daugh'
ter of Athens. He had been considered
by his friends as confirmed bachelor